Hey Matt, Funny you should bring up the AJAX API, as I have made apps using that api way way back in the original version (been using that API since day 1 also) and things have changed with that API majorly yet my old apps continue to work with out issues (I am very surprised actually!). Seems they have more competent developers (or more concern for not breaking people apps) and if an issue comes up they get back to you right away on it, unlike here were concerns can take a week or more to get a response. I also correspond with that dev team quite a bit and they have quite a different mindset on the stability of their api and developer community. Additionally, I have a very old CSE app that was made before there was a real CSE API (or even the ajax api) and was done straight through Google URL params, well that App still works to this day, I am just floored by that! (Wow!!)
Also talks with them (the AJAX APIs team) about the different format in the JSON response and I got a reply that it was due to not break the functionality of the old apis and they immediately updated the docs to clarify the change in JSON format with the REST apis. :) But as you say (or we know), the gadgets api is way to frustrating of an API to develop for anymore and we as developers should not be subjected to all these issues and breakages (and double standards and gadget favoritism for their own gadgets in turn increasing their directory ranking and user counts) and again the topic of no notice before major changes dates back to the early days in this group. (Note: Just my opinions is all from a frustrated developer) On Jul 17, 12:33 pm, Matt Foster <[email protected]> wrote: > Yeah I gave up on trying to keep up a while ago. > > Why didn't they use versions of code, such that a gadget could use the > same version of the API indefinitely. If these version were deemed > "unsafe" add a special warning when adding them that says "This gadget > uses a deprecated version of the Gadget API, use at your own risk..." > > They've done this with the Ajax API, why not apply this same method to > Gadgets? > > -- > > http://positionabsolute.net > > On Jul 17, 12:33 pm, Vision Jinx <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Hey Matt, > > > I have to agree with you and I have thrown in the towel also and want > > off this rollercoaster ride. (not only as a developer but an iGooge > > user and supporter also) > > > I have had many issues with breaking gadgets also, like Toggle caused > > my gadget to not display feed entries, so I added my own toggle > > function, then with the content re-writer cause them to break again > > and render blank when it would reformat to > > > _IG_RegisterOnloadHandler(init); --> > > > Where before it would break when I had // --> with the other content > > re-writer so this has changed again. > > > Also, when the _IG_AdjustIFrameHeight(); broke it caused my gadget to > > not expand properly and cut off most the results. > > > I have better things to do then debug, fix and repair these gadgets on > > a daily/weekly basis and once again have watched my analytics stats > > drop from 1.2-1.5 million to a couple hundred and dealing with all the > > emails from upset gadget users blaming me for breaking things when it > > was not a result of my actions. So, due to Googles inability to > > provide a stable and developer friendly API, I have opted to delete my > > remaining gadgets and be done with this flakey API also. > > > Add yet another most devoted and loyal developer (since day 1) to the > > list of people who have had enough of Google continually breaking > > things. Still waiting for my request to have my remaining gadgets > > removed form the directory also. :/ > > > Regards, > > Vision Jinx > > > On Jul 17, 10:05 am, Matt Kruse <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > On Jul 17, 8:18 am, String <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > On Jul 16, 6:31 pm, "Matt (Guru)" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Did another round of gadget-killings go through? Did mine get the axe? > > > > Yep, my Theme Manager gadget just got the chop as well. Here we go > > > > with a bunch of angry iGoogle users again. > > > > Yeah, I'm getting emails from people who are upset and frustrated too. > > > Ex: > > > > | It’s been a fun ride, and I’m sorry to see you throw in the towel > > > | (according to your developer post) on your absolutely-best-thing- > > > that- > > > | ever-happened-to-iGoogle gadget, your RSS feed customizer. I > > > certainly > > > | don’t blame you since I’m familiar with Google’s sudden dropping of > > > | support for well-loved gadgets that use features they decide to > > > remove > > > | without warning, but I’m still reeling with the shock of seeing my > > > | home page mutilated from its former beauty. > > > > > I wonder if there are any inline gadgets still alive now? Apart from > > > > Google's that is... nothing like a good double standard in an API. > > > > Exactly. But that's the game they choose to play, apparently. > > > > I don't think they care much about iGoogle, actually. Which is their > > > choice. Gadgets now live in many of their "products" like Gmail, > > > calendar, etc, and embedded on web sites. I think iGoogle is just an > > > after-thought, and doesn't play into the gadget strategy like the > > > other outlets. > > > > > > Hey, thanks for the warning, Google! > > > > I guess they warned us when they deprecated inlining. :^/ > > > > I feel manipulated, like someone in an abusive relationship. Google > > > keeps randomly breaking things, then sometimes apologizing and putting > > > them partially back, then breaking them again. They disable inline > > > gadgets a little at a time without ever telling developers when theirs > > > will get the axe or even what the criteria is. I was under the > > > assumption that inline gadgets that still worked would continue to > > > work forever. So we hold on a little bit longer at their mercy, and > > > suddenly it's our turn to get shut down. Blah. > > > > I've lost all desire to develop gadgets anymore. But I'm still an > > > iGoogle user (I prefer all my feeds in that interface with my gadget > > > rather than the clunky Google Reader) so I would like to continue > > > benefiting from that experience as I have all this time. I think I may > > > finally look at creating a greasemonkey script to accomplish the same > > > task. It's not a perfect solution (and leaves most of my gadget users > > > with no option) but at least it may make my life easier. > > > > Matt Kruse --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "iGoogle Developer Forum" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Google-Gadgets-API?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
